OUR SERIAL STORY TRIPPED AT LAST.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 217, 31 August 1911, Page 3

OUR SERIAL STORY TRIPPED AT LAST.

BY HEADON HILL. CHAPTER. XXXI. THE SHADOW PASSES. (Continued.) UrrnAin returned tlm bow. “1 too, sir,' !:,■ went on in hi.s level, even tones. ‘•sha , re that fc-ntiment by reason of my love tor my afflicted tlai:«liter. It had been my intention to kill ynur sen. no-t. only liecau: e of what I was. led to believe was hi-- callous refusal to relieve la r surbut lac-au.e his removal was l.i.ees. ary to my gi neral plan. But t bat plan lia.s um. d. and I am cotiI.onti 1 iv-ith an entirely new combiiiat.mi of ci num.-tai ices. Yet your common *<>.nse will tell you that. in s;i.;ta ot that failure, the lives of yoiirs.-.t am) your si.u, of Mr Meldr. th and hi-; daughter, are still in my pow er I-’’

“1 quite undi rstar.id that,” replied th i doctor, drilv.

’•Well," continued Cremlin. with a aura of his hand toward t-lie upturned fact's of has late accomplices, “the police will be here i.n> ia few ir.-.nutes, probably. There is no time to clt-.ir avav t.he traces oi that un-pb-a.'«iiiitness, and my personal safety dem and t that I .slundd make a hurried departure, li I refrain from sliootinig your son before 1 go will you pledge me your word to look after Lui'dle till I find a means of claiming her:" I dire not subject- her to a voyage m tli“ lliotor-laillich tins ■ lormy night.” Dr Chetwynd hesitated, glancing at the lifeless victims of this man's Vengeance. It went against the grain to bargain with such as he. but an ominous movi'ment by Cremlin tie uards the door hastened his decision. He remeniliered also that l.ueillo h,a.([ a claim on his sympathies alter her conduct that night in ranging herself on their side. “I will do what you wish." he mid. “Your child siutii li-a-vc every car.i and attention.”

“ I’heii there is nothing to keep ns hero another minute.” said Cremibn jMK-keting his pistol with a- s.gli of relief. “Conx> along, Scroop,” ho add, I. “We will collect the others and clear b. fere Greyst<>el turns up. The n. itor-aum li is always- ready tor such a contingency as this.” The t'.io luisci eants rushed from the nwni. and the doctor heard them call.ng to the man on guard at tile next door to join them. By the time the sound of their flying feet had died away at the end of the passage ho had unlocked Harold's coo-r and draggid him in to whore Mr M-eidretli was crazily gloating over the colktp.-e of his persecutors. The doctc.r began to [xiur out explanations. but his son checked him.

“That wall i.s only lath and plaster.” u.iid Harold. “I overheard ciough for present pirrtioses. The r.st n.u-L keep. Acting on what I overheard. 1 dispatched Bob Langston. who cante under my window . to flurry up Greystcel. We must concert measures quickly if we are filially to draw his sting, and l>e prejered w.di a siory that will dovetail in every particular.”

“For Heaven’s sake let us destroy all traces of the. dress-basket- and the tm-lined cas?.” cane Mr Me.dreth’s eager suggestion. •‘I think not: there nwty not be time, and it wotiul never do to lai caught in the ai t.” said Harold, and 1: > b.-ekoned his father out into the p.-.s.'-:ige. '

“Can he be relied on not to give L’.n ielf away if we fix him wilfi a sto'iy to tell?” he asked. “ I here can be no chance of a conviction against him now. but a little slip might ruin his reputation for ever.”

“I couldn't vouch for him to-mor-row, ” leplieil Dr Chetwyird, after a moment's hesitation. “ Co-night he is in swch a .state of exaltation that I think he woihl keep his end up if he were properly primed.” “Then let us prime him,” said Ha.rold. and ho ea.tlod to the inerc'irant to join them in the passage. Tire ]>inn which he hurriedly lint imprtsavely sketched for t.he edification of Mr Greysteel was th'is. When que-tio.iH-d, Mr Meklret-h was to admit that he had been blackmailed by the “Black Prince.’’ and his gang, ami that, horrified by thdiir statement that they had found Bankart's body in his s.afe. ar.d by th-ci.r threats of producin git, he had weakly yielded to their demands, though, so far as ho was aware, then? was no truth in their allegations. There was no need to state the iratme of the dastardly demand or to drag in Rose’s name. Mr Mcldroth was to stick to it through thick and thin that ho knew not bin,g about Bankart. There was nothing now to shake his assertion. whatever private suspicions Insjiectar Greysteel might hold. Harold’s detention, by the gang was to be accounted for by ti.e simple truth—that he had pitted himself against tip m in •an attempt to loose their clutch upon a valued patient in a precarious state of health. As to the tragedy that hail happened that night, it was capable of bail.,g made the strongest factor in Gr< Vsted’s undem.g. They were to pa-y,’ all tlie witnesses of Cremii.nd ruthless ci.ime. that he had killed Folsom and his wife in a fit of rage r-onsequejit on the du'ess-basket aiinl cas<‘ being found to contain nothing but newspapers, the inference being that, the leader of the gang had alt sil<M:g been as great a dupe as had Mr Aieldreth, and. incidentally, Grev.-tevl liiir.-eK. The death of “The Lambeth Terror" removed the last chance < f proving that Bankart's body had ever been hr the safe in the iwr.-hn-nt'.-i private room at all. “Tim beauty of the yarn is that it will be true—except in one inq>oa--tant, detail of whi h there can bo no evidence." Harold concluded. “There is verv little tax 0:1 your veracity, sir. and none on your ingenuity. Do v<.u feci equal to it f ' “Ye-. yes —a thousand times, ves!” evict! 2.1 r Mcldreth in his excitement. “Now that the load has fallen from my shoulders I feel equal to anything. I can be brave and strong again. And oh. my boy. you imvt'trv'to forgive me for the coward's part. I played towards you. who were my best friend. But if you could realise ” “I can thoroughly. Harold mterri’p;. I him gently. ‘Aon must not sav another word on that head, Air Mcldreth. That . .-roundrsi numbed your tenses as completely as if he had been some deadly snake, and apart from that you were in no phvs: -al condithm to cope with him. Let rs forget everything except that Rc.-e has been t-na’telnd from a ous fate." c,tight to go down -.iixl see to th? gir’ ." Dr Chetwynd interpo-e.rt. “And 1 imagine that Greysteel will got b? inclined to wait _ outside the T.ou-e for h ug if there is no one to admit him/’ So. leaving th? cau.Hes burningjn th'? chamber of death. the three oe-.<-CT.ded to the draw jug-room, -where thev fiun ’ 11 w< sitting by the com-n lii c Lw.'l c'- hand. TJ;e invalid , weepiv.:. for on his way <-IJt 7, t - , . . i„ > ■ rhe launch with his wrrl'iiiS lives her father had r ,.t b,ah? v"> resist looking in to -iv g.-od-hve. And tenderly as tluit f i' t-17- '1 J is-en spoken, hi-s last words ’■ <i -hcivii her that he had divined “ e * •> loa-en for her sumr.un.i.. D < etwynd. “G > 1 '■* v child. he had -aid ;1 s be . ( ’to kiss the pmr-s tamed fa e. 1 broil trouble up-

stairs, but though the hunt is going to begin someth mg tells me that 1 shall escape my pursuers. I leave you in good hands—hands which you need not be ashamed of. a.nd which you have grasped already.”

And then, with one of his courtly bows to Rose, he had gone, ottering no explanation of the shots which had rung through tin* <•<;■:-nidors of the old mansion. Ihe girls had waited in trembling .-us.pe.ui e, fearing they knew not what. It was, therefori', with a glad cry of relief that Rose sprang u.p to greet the lover whom fhe had first lielieved to be drowned in the bay, and for whom, after. Lucille's revelations to her tl’.'.rt night-, she had dreaded a worse fate. But at that moment tho clang of reverberated through the house, a.nd Harold, followed by hi . father and Mr Meldreth, slipped back into the entrance-hall, closing tL;-> drawing-room d>;nr behind him. “That, wili 1-e Grcysteeel.” he said, ey.ing the n er-c-. u anxiously. “W'e must get it here.”

Ho went fic v. .ir i and opened the front door, letting -n a blinding gust < f rain-laden a ii--<. But it was not In pcctev G: -\st.' i w !>■>, white-faced ar.d expeetaui, stepped into the hail. It was Bub Lang.-t<m, wet from .lic-ad tn loot- with ram and spray, but breaking into a grin of delight, when Ln saw the two Chetwynds safe and sound.

“I did your bidding, 31 aster Hairold,” he said. “The police are at the laiid:.:ig-|.!a<e. They'll be here in- a. niiirut.?. but I ran ahead to tell you what's happened. The tug has sunk the motor-laiinG), a.nd it was that d irk we didn't save -a hle.-sed- soul. “How many were on herr’’ ‘■’l'ho whole cf Gremlin's party, except his daughter and two of them whom he had shot,” Harold -replied. “And p-irSi jib'ly,” -he added, as an afterthought, “tho fellow whom you st maned wilder my window.” “No, I ve been ixmmml to look,” said Bob. “He must either have .revived or eke they found 'him :ii:rl carried him aboard. Anyway he’s gone. ’

TLeu the (?.:or was unc-f ii'inoii'iously opened, and Greysteel with-a dozen ci.nstal-ii - swarmed in. Ihe Inspector seemed surprised, and not -a. little relieved to see Doctor Chetwynd and hi-; s; n standing there unhurt. On catching sight of Mr Meldreth, cf w hose presell < e on the island ‘he had b.'-cn unaware, lie drew a- long breath. Recovering himself, “Who's killed?” he demanded.

“A man and his wife, calling thom- ;■ Ive ; Eo'smn. I witnessed the act iry.-fl'f.” tlm (lector took upon himself to wn«wcir.

“Ah, the Lanilieth Terror!” ejaculit!.- 1 Greystei-l. “Then, if.iey have been q-uai rolling among themselves, I tak i it?”

“That i.s exactly wha't luis happened, and l.oro is Mr Meldreth, leady an.l anxious to tell you what the qtiar.re.l was about,” s.aid Harold, leading the merchant forward. And v<; :’.er” hi-i b.eath lie murnaseO“Courage!” *

Mr jleldreth stood the ordeal of the insjK-ctor’s qiifst-ionn n.-anfuily. and told the story suggested- by Harold without a flaw. but. as Doctor Chetwynd had predicted, he. went all to pieces on the following day and wa> ur.ab'-? to appear at the inqiKsi, on the r olsonis, and on the bodies of Scroop and Ramoo, who alone cf those who had perished in the 'kminch w-ero w as-hed ash-or-e. A week Later ho was dead, the strain of that night at th? Slate House having completed the decay that- had set hi three month ; before.

Alter a detent interval Harold was quietly niarried to Rose, and thia bt .-is in the windy turret of Porthru-an elii'.Tch rang for a double wedding, lor Bob Langston also “sacrificed -himself on the hymeneal altar.” as the local pap.= r held it. <h* the seii'-same day. Ncedle.-s t;> say that pretty Moll Tregeagle was the young fishenmau s hr ide.

It w-as summer-timo 'again when Ha.rchl returned trom a. bnr.f hvtwyn icon to tak<> up his residence at Btaciiii Ta Wei's ,‘i;> that Rose might play th;, part of a dutiful daughter to <h®r mother. Ono afternoon lie sbrolted over to his old home to see his father and L’JUK'le, the latter stili.l an invalid, but .happily eiiTed of the morbid effects of her old s-ti.riioundaigs, ami' grown into a bright and wiiusc.ine jkt-s-.onnliitv.

On tattering the 'garden gate. Harold wa i surpinivcd to see three ]>eople in-te.rd < f tii<- two he had expected, lounging in cane chairs on the little hiw.n. One. a tall figure in immaculate twesds, rore quickly and camo towards hint. It was Inspector Greysteel taking his h(j..;day. as he hastened to explain when lie had shaken ha nd!.

“ Thin ]>’.<aco draws me like a. magnet,” he raid, lowering his voice so that Lucille shoitld not hear. “It .is the scer.e of one cf my greatest succcs.s?.>-', inasmuch as it led to tlno wiping out of one of the worst crowas or (irgalined criminals wo even- had to deal with. Also ol one of my greatc.-t failirres.” he added with a snap of bit jaw, but with a tnin-kie •in hij eye that 'betokened no hostility.

“Faili'ire?” echoed Harold witJi adinirabiie compoeure. “S-iu-h a word is not to be uttered in canirjcct-ion with yon, Mr Greysteel.” “Ah well, you know what I mean, and it’s no u.e raking among -dead ashes,” .caid the inspector quietly. “What I wanted to tell, you was this, for 1 had no chance before. You’ve got to thank your pa! Bob Langston for giving me, the final clue which very nearly upset your apple cart. He di d it by punching Mr Tun Scroop’s teeth "out. I’d been trying to trip him for years, but whe-.n he was on: the job he always ware that home-made looking set of teeth, and when we called on him he was fitted up with the other set that was taken to appear ii'atura'l ones. He had his own teeth all drawn, so that he niight run this dodge for destroying hi. identity.”

“A very deceitful person,” hazarded Harold , who had guessed' 'all this long before from Bob’s description of the scene in the surgery. “Yes.” said Inspector Greysteel solemnly, “he was a slippery cove. But,” after a. pause, “that’s the cleverest gentleman I ever met. ’ And he jerked his thumbs over his shoulder towards the old doctor, who was trying to make. Lucille laugh at .‘onio a’ljsurdity. “You bad imi'n.” laughed Harold. “Yon have been trying to pump “Too late for that r.ow.” said Inspector Greys.teel. gazing reflectively at the buckthorn hedge. “Besides, it wouldn't lie any use. THE END.